Page 46 of Family Secrets

Chapter Nineteen

Elizabeth struggled to focus on her work, nervous fingers reflected the butterflies running around in her stomach. Gino had asked her to play dumb, pretending as if she had no knowledge of his father’s death, but the whispers of the other girls eventually turned into fingers pointed in her direction.

Dani was first to approach, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail and her signature green gum dancing around her mouth.

“Two things, Elizabeth,” Dani began, holding up the correct number of digits. “One, I’m only sayin’ this as a friend, but your roots are showing. Two, you’re close with Sully and Gino, what the hell is going on?”

Before Elizabeth could deny anything, Sully stormed down the hall, a woman Elizabeth didn’t recognize walking beside him, with Felicia talking a mile a minute on her phone keeping pace with the precession. The woman’s hair was the oddest shade of red Elizabeth had ever seen, not a traditional red, as it appeared a deep pink as she passed by the light from the window. She had a certain air about her, as if she felt herself better than anyone in the room, turning her nose up at several of the girls as they made their way toward her office.

“I still say you should be included in the vote, Salvatore. You are far more popular with the men than Gino is.”

“It isn’t about popularity, Ma.” Sully returned, rolling his eyes in exhaustion.

Elizabeth turned her focus to her computer screen, pretending to ignore the conversation.

“Gino was born first.” Sully bit out, Elizabeth catching frustration wrapped around his tone. She watched from the corner of her eye as the woman took Sully’s chin in her hand. “I know, my baby boy, and I’m sorry.”

Elizabeth’s fingers stalled on her keyboard at Sully’s mother’s choice in words. Did she intentionally get pregnant?

“However, there is still call to celebrate.” His mother turned to look behind her, “Felicia will soon wear Gino’s ring giving us more leverage when it comes to ruling this Family.”

Elizabeth kept her eyes trained on the screen, the numbers mocking her stupidity. She’d foolishly fallen, once again listening to the lies and believing them as truth.

“Your absolutely right, Barbara. And I know exactly what I’m going to change the minute I have the Vitale last name.”

Elizabeth didn’t need to look in Felicia’s eyes to know the statement was about her.

“A bold statement, wouldn’t you agree?”

Mouths hung open as every eye in the room landed on the beautiful woman standing in the doorway. Her thick accent and well-groomed appearance left no room for question, this was Giovanni’s mother from Italy. Several suited men and a much younger, but equally beautiful, woman stood behind her.

“I seem to recall my son making his opinion on you quite clear, Felicia.”

The two held each other’s gaze as if a pair of Gladiators sizing each other up for battle.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Chiara. But—” Sully’s mother began but was interrupted when the woman raised her leather-gloved hand.

“Please, we both know your sympathy is as fake as the leather on your knock-off boots.”

Elizabeth’s eyes fell to the boots in question. She wasn’t enough of an expert to tell if they were fake or not.

“Tell me, Barbara. How does it feel knowing you wasted your life waiting for a man to pay you the slightest attention, only to know he died still married to the one woman who kept his attention?”

“Kept his attention?” Barbara scoffed, separating the distance, pointing at the young lady standing behind Chiara. “You haven’t shared a bed with Jonathan since Georgianna was conceived.”

No longer camouflaging her attention to the conversation, Elizabeth looked to the younger woman. While her knowledge of the Vitale children was limited to what Lisa told her, there was no doubt in her mind, based on the eyes and hair, this was Gino’s sister.

“Don’t kid yourself, Barbara. Had Jonathan wanted to be rid of me, he could have filed for a divorce here in the States, yet he didn’t. Oh, and how many nights did he seek you out, have you as the lady of his home, and constant lover?”

A pen dropping on a thick carpet could be heard with clarity as the two women stood toe to toe. Even a blind man could see by the look of jealousy on Barbara’s face the fact she wanted Chiara’s life.

With the grace and poise of a seasoned lady, Chiara turned to the crowd of observers, who unlike Elizabeth didn’t attempt to hide their curiosity.

“Jonathan’s funeral will be held this Friday at Saint Anthony’s Church. I expect all of you to attend and join the Amato and Vitale Family for a memorial feast following the service.” Turning her eyes back to Barbara, “Even you will be welcome.” Shifting her gaze back to the crowd. “Along with all of the other women he tried to erase me from his thoughts with.”

Elizabeth surveyed the women in the crowd, while she suspected the men who gave them gifts did so in exchange for sex, Jonathan had never ventured into the office in the short time she been employed. And while she didn’t doubt the validity of Chiara’s claims, she wondered how much of what she said was a jab at the proverbial other woman?

Having said what she’d kept inside for years, Chiara turned to leave when she caught Felicia dashing down the hall, an approaching Gino her intended target.

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